A new queen has been out of the cage for 4 days. Each time I have checked the nuc, there is a huge ball of bees on her but they have not killed her (yet?). I sparyed them with sugar water today and she just walked away and climbed on a different frame.

Any ideas or suggestion? I thought about mixing a little lemon with sugar water tomorrow (if she is still alive and being balled) them sprying everyone in the hive including her, the frames, and side walls.

06-26-2013, 06:49 PM

AR Beekeeper

Re: Balling but not killing. Seems strange

Check the nuc for a virgin or queen cells, it sounds like they are balling to restrain/protect the queen. Are you feeding? I have seen queens balled to prevent them from laying when there was no food in the colony.

06-26-2013, 07:20 PM

AmericasBeekeeper

Re: Balling but not killing. Seems strange

The difference between "balling" and healthy retinue can be daunting to a new beekeeper. Sometimes (read always) you need to listen to the bees.

06-26-2013, 07:52 PM

zhiv9

Re: Balling but not killing. Seems strange

This week I collected a cast swarm with two virgin queens(unbeknownst to me at the time). Dumped them in a box and put on a queen includer. When I went to remove the includer a couple of days later there were two balls of bees on it. In the centre of one was a light brown dead virgin queen. In the centre of the other was a live black virgin queen. I can only assume they were balling to protect one, while balling to kill the other. Looked identical to me.

06-27-2013, 07:00 AM

Goldprospector

Re: Balling but not killing. Seems strange

Plenty of food for the nuc. Got a feeder on top of them and have since it was started. Entrance is 1 1/4 wide by 1/2 tall, no robbing activity seen, no other queen found. Just seems weird

06-27-2013, 11:20 AM

Michael Bush

Re: Balling but not killing. Seems strange

It's difficult to distinguish between bees balling a queen to protect her and balling a queen to confine her. They are generally not trying to kill her, but the end result, if they ball her long enough, is that she dies...